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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - September, 2013
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of September: Dedicated to the Seven Dolors of Mary / The Sorrowful Mother
* Short Reflection on the Blessed Virgin Mary & the Mystery of Suffering
* Pope Pius VI's Litany of the Love of God
* Liturgical Feasts in September
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Reject the Catholic Church's Teaching that Jesus' Mother Mary Was Assumed, Body & Soul, Into Heaven?
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Dear Friend,
Greetings to you and best wishes for a blessed Fall, which starts this month on 9/22.
We hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones doing well. On our end, things have been very busy with the recent welcoming of our 2,000,000th visitor, the migration to a new server, and our recently passing the half way point on our site redesign efforts (see below for details of these items). We are also expecting things to remain busy with our upcoming 5 year anniversary and our Fifth Annual Rosary Week to be held from 10/21-10/27/2013.
Speaking of Rosary Week, we send our thanks to all subscribers who have already signed up and ask all others to please accept our invitation to join us. It doesn't take very long to participate, it doesn't cost anything to sign up, and you can pray from anywhere. Even if you don't normally get involved these efforts, we hope you might consider participating in this event as we've tried hard to make everything as easy as possible & also to remove all objections people might have (e.g. you can sign up as 'anonymous', you can participate for just one day, you can pray from any appropriate location, no e-mail address is required to sign up, you can pray at any time of day or night, the event is totally free). We hope you will join us for this 'spiritually rewarding' event. We think you will be glad you did. For more information on Rosary Week, please visit www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeekInfo . To sign up, please visit www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek
Thank you for being a subscriber to our newsletter. We appreciate your support. If there are any suggestions or comments you'd like to share with us, please feel use the subscriber feedback form at www.MyCatholicSource.com/Subscriber to send us a quick note. We always love hearing from you.
We send our best wishes for God's blessings,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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Prayer of Veneration of the Sorrowful Mother: "O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of sorrow pierced the most sweet soul of the glorious Mary, Mother and Virgin: grant in thy mercy, that we who call to mind her sorrows with veneration, may obtain the happy effect of thy Passion. Who livest." (Collect)
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MCS News & Notes
* If you haven't already signed up for our Fifth Annual Rosary Week from 10/21-10/27/2013, please consider doing so now. Participation is FREE & easy and can be done from any appropriate location - simply say a 5 decade Rosary each day that week (or for as many days as you can) for the indicated intentions. We hope you will join us. And, please invite your friends, family & fellow parishioners too! We'd like as many of our fellow Catholics as possible to join together with us in this powerful prayer to our loving, Blessed Mother and we'd love for you to be a part of this effort. We think you'll be glad you did. To sign up for Rosary Week, please visit www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek [Note: If you'd like assistance in praying the rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/how_to_pray_the_rosary.htm . For additional information on the holy rosary, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/holy_rosary.htm ]
* Traffic Update: We are happy to report that MyCatholicSource.com received its 2 millionth visitor+ in the afternoon on Sunday, August 4th, 2013. We send our thanks to all who have visited and we look forward, by God's grace, to welcoming many millions of visitors to our site in the years to come. [+ Number of visits is based on raw, unfiltered access logs. Excludes traffic prior to our 'official unveiling']
* Site Redesign Update: We are happy to report that we have now passed the half way point+ for conversion of the site to the new look. If all goes well, we may be starting on revisions to database driven pages soon. We expect these pages will have some differences between the current pages and also differences between other pages using the new design. Hopefully the end result will be pleasing both in appearance & functionality. [+ Note: This estimate is based on a count of total number of pages]
* New Server Update: In early July we were notified that our site was going to be migrated to a new server. [In non-computer terms, imagine being suddenly notified via e-mail that in one week you must move from your old home and ready your new home - complete with packing, moving, unpacking, changes to utilities, mail & phone service, etc. (this isn't an exact comparison, but there are certainly some similarities).] We were therefore forced to direct much of our recent efforts into bringing the new server online and resolving various issues related to the change. Therefore, as anticipated, we were unable to send out a monthly newsletter in August (we hope you got our e-mail in early July that mentioned this possibility). It was the first time since we officially went live that we were unable to send out our monthly newsletter. Previously when we changed servers, the process was planned, timed & initiated by us, so we had much more control over scheduling. Furthermore, with previous server changes, we were not under as much pressure to shut down our old server (in this last case we were given a tight deadline that couldn't be moved). As a result, this was a very challenging process to accomplish on schedule. Nevertheless, the new server is now live. Please let us know if you encounter any problems with our site. Thank you in advance for any feedback! [Reminder: This server migration was initiated by our hosting company as a result of their recent acquisition. It was NOT related to our ongoing site redesign efforts.]
* Did you know? Switching servers (or IP numbers) can affect e-mail. Regrettably, our e-mail sending 'reputation' from our old server/IP number does not transfer over to the new server/IP number. When we send large amounts of e-mail from the new server (e.g. our monthly newsletter), various e-mail providers may be more likely to flag our e-mail as 'spam' until our 'reputation' has been built back up on the new server/IP number. Unfortunately, there is only a little we can do about this issue on our end. Visitors can help by (1) adding us as 'trusted senders' and (2) reassigning e-mails of ours flagged as spam (if any) into their inbox as wanted mail. Thanks in advance for any help!
* Did you have trouble accessing MyCatholicSource.com in early August? We experienced some accessibility issues in early August that were timed in close connection with the server switch, but they were NOT directly associated with the server migration. Rather, our host experienced "a major and extended outage" at that time. The outage, which affected numerous domains, was reported on various media outlets. One media report indicated that the hosting company "one of the 20 largest", collectively hosts "well over 1.9+ million domains" along with its sister companies. We regret any inconvenience this outage may have caused our visitors.
* We are contemplating removing the recently added 'share your thoughts' feedback box that presently appears on the side border of our site. Unfortunately, this feedback option has primarily served as a vehicle for solicitations and inappropriate/unhelpful comments. Also, since there is no built-in option for supplying an e-mail address, we have not been able to contact submitters concerning their questions/comments. Note that if we remove this feedback option from the border, we may consider making a link to the quick feedback page at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/quick_feedback.htm more prominent. If you have any comments about these possible changes, please submit them here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/subscriber_feedback.htm . Thanks in advance for any feedback.
* There will be an interruption in many of our services early next month (early October) due to vacations. Services affected may include: live chat, post & ad processing, subscription processing, blog updates, lending library, and various e-mail responses. News updates will also be affected. For dates of service interruption, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm . Although you may notice delays in the above services, access to the MyCatholicSource.com website itself should NOT be affected.
* During this 'back to school' season, visitors may be interested in the user-submitted article "Attention: Read this if you love your children". It can be found at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/user_article-attention_read_this_if_you_love_your_children.htm
* Please invite your friends to visit MyCatholicSource.com. For our "easy to use" invite-a-friend page, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/invite_a_friend.htm . Please invite some friends today! Your support helps keep us going!
* Please invite your friends & family to subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/mail_list.htm . Thank you!
* We love to hear from you! Please submit comments at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fdb/newsletter_feedback.htm
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MyCatholicSource.com App News...
* We are happy to report that we have received more 5-star reviews for iStations since our last newsletter. Recent reviewers have said the following about our Stations of the Cross app: "Awesome... Very well illustrated and a joy to use", and: "Great Personal App! The Stations of the Cross are so much more meaningful with this app and its narration. One can read it and receive much benefit, but with this app, where you hear it read to you, is so much more moving, similar to being in church." At this time, nearly all ratings for this app on both platforms are 5 stars. Why not get your copy today? Download iStations for Android at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bfsnet.istations or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007014CYM , or for iPhone/iPad at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/istations/id457131446?ls=1&mt=8
* Did you know? iStations for Android has been included on Amazon's Top Rated list. Recently, iStations appeared on Amazon's Top Rated list in position #44. We send our thanks to all who have purchased this app. Your support has helped to keep us online!
* If you don't yet own our Catholic Bible References app, why not get it today? This app is a great memory aid for truths of the Catholic faith that conveniently puts important scripture passages at your fingertips. It is a handy apologetics tool that can be used to help Catholics discuss & defend the faith. It features hundreds of key bible references conveniently arranged by topic, 100+ tips for locating related passages (including those related to defending the Catholic faith among 'Jehovah's Witnesses' & Mormons), modern / traditional scripture translations, a convenient index, an easy / quick / comprehensive search, selectable text, Old Testament / New Testament indicator, a quick, easy-to-use interface, and more... Download your copy of this 'must-have' app today at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catholic-bible-references/id450589859?ls=1&mt=8
* Reviews: If you've purchased any of our apps, we encourage you to please leave a review at your place of purchase. They really help us out! To view selected reviews, please visit http://www.bfsnet.com/bfsapps/selected_reviews.htm
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* For more information concerning currently available apps, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/comrc/apps.htm (shortcut: www.MyCatholicSource.com/Apps )
Note: Any prices included herein are in U.S. dollars, excluding any applicable tax.
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* Please see our Notices page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm for dates of anticipated service delays through January 2014
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The Month of September: Dedicated to The Seven Dolors of Mary / The Sorrowful Mother
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"And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed." (Lk. 2:34-35)
"[W]hat anguish unutterable must have filled the soul of this Mother, when raising up her eyes, she sees the mangled Body of her Son, stretched upon the cross, with His face all covered with blood, and His head wreathed with a crown of thorns!" (Gueranger)
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Related Resources...
* Devotion to the Seven Sorrows - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm
* Mary / The Passion & Death of Jesus Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections_passion_and_death_of_Jesus.htm
* Scapulars (Incl. Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/scapulars.htm
* Marian Prayers - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Marian.htm
* Marian Facts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/facts.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary Reflections - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Papal Writings) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
* Marian Scriptural References - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_scriptural_references.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm
* Mary, Our Mother Section - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/mary_our_mother.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"Nor was Mary less than was befitting the Mother of Christ. When the apostles fled, she stood before the Cross and with reverent gaze beheld her Son's wounds, for she waited not for her Child's death, but the world's salvation." (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church, 396 A.D.)
"In the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is in an agony; in the judgment-hall, where He is scourged, crowned with thorns, condemned to death, not there do we find Mary. But she knew beforehand all these agonies; she knew and saw them. When she professed herself the handmaid of the Lord for the mother's office, and when, at the foot of the altar, she offered up her whole self with her Child Jesus - then and thereafter she took her part in the laborious expiation made by her Son for the sins of the world. It is certain, therefore, that she suffered in the very depths of her soul with His most bitter sufferings and with His torments. Moreover, it was before the eyes of Mary that was to be finished the Divine Sacrifice for which she had borne and brought up the Victim. As we contemplate Him in the last and most piteous of those Mysteries, there stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother, who, in a miracle of charity, so that she might receive us as her sons, offered generously to Divine Justice her own Son, and died in her heart with Him, stabbed with the sword of sorrow." (Pope Leo XIII, "Iucunda Semper Expectatione", 1894 A.D.)
"As the sun surpasses all the stars in luster, so the sorrows of Mary surpass all the tortures of the martyrs." (St. Basil)
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Short Reflection on the Blessed Virgin Mary & the Mystery of Suffering
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The following is taken from Fr. Faber's 1858 publication entitled 'The Foot of the Cross; or, The Sorrows of Mary'. An imprimatur was not located on the work. [Note: We have made some changes to the original text (e.g. punctuation & spelling changes)]
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There is yet another reason which we may dare to suggest for the permission of [the Blessed Virgin's] sorrows. As the Bible is a spoken revelation, so in a certain sense Mary is an emblematical revelation. God uses her as an instrument whereby to make many things plain which would otherwise have rested in obscurity. It is a line of thought familiar to theologians, which regards her as a kind of image of the Most Holy Trinity. As the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, and the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, she shadows forth in herself, faintly, of course, because she is a creature, but nevertheless truly, the relations of the Three Divine Persons. She is as it were a still translucent lake in whose bosom wonderful attributes of God, and far distant heavenly heights, are mirrored with faithful distinctness. We know more of God's mercy, of His condescension, of His intimacy with His creatures, of His characteristic ways, because of the light which He has made to shine on Mary, than we should else have known, and we have come also to understand better what we either knew or might have known in other ways. Thus God's perfections in Himself, His dealings with His creatures, and the fashion of His redeeming grace, the possibilities of holiness, the inventiveness of divine love, His training of the saints, His guidance of the Church, His inward walk with the souls that seek Him - all these things are written upon Mary like hieroglyphical inscriptions, easily to be deciphered by the light of faith and the intelligent surmises of devotion. So, by her dolours, He has hung about her a complete revelation of the great mystery of suffering. He has illuminated in her that pregnant doctrine, that suffering is the only true conclusion to be drawn from love, where divine things are concerned. She had no sin of her own for which to suffer. She had no penalty to pay for the fall of Eve. She was not included in the law of sin. She was, in the order of heaven's purposes, foreseen before the decree permitting sin. She also had no world to redeem. All her dear blood, the sweet fountain and well-head of the Precious Blood, could not have washed away one venial sin, nor saved the soul of one newborn babe who had no actual sin at all to expiate. She was simply immersed in an unspeakable sea of love, and therefore the deluge of sorrow passed over her soul, and into it, by right, just as the great turbulent rivers run down unquestioned into the sea. Her sufferings close the mouth of complaint forever. With sweet constraint and unanswerable persuasiveness they impose silence on all the suffering children of our Heavenly Father. The saints can doubt no longer that suffering is the one grand similitude of Christ. We too in our extreme lowness, whose patience is of so thin a texture that it was threadbare almost when it was new, learn, not to be silent only, but to bear with gentleness, and even wistfully to think the time may come when we shall actually love, that suffering which seems to be the golden coin in which Love repays our love.
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"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 14:27)
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (St. Paul, Col. 1:24)
"In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (St. Peter, 1 Pt. 1:6-7)
"But different kinds of sufferings are imposed on us to test and prove us, and many forms of temptations are inflicted upon us by loss of wealth, burning fevers, torments of wounds, by the death of dear ones. Nothing else distinguishes the unjust and the just more than this, that in adversities the unjust man complains and blasphemes because of impatience, while the just man is proved by patience, as it is written: 'I thy sorrow endure and in thy humiliation keep patience, for gold and silver are tried in fire.'" (St. Cyprian of Carthage)
"No suffering borne out of love for Christ, even poorly borne, will go unrewarded in eternal life. Trust and hope in the merits of Jesus and in this way even poor clay will become finest gold which will shine in the palace of the king of heaven." (St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)
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For more on suffering, try here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_life/cathlife_suffering.htm
For more reflections, try here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/reflections_categorized.htm
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Pope Pius VI's Litany of the Love of God
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Ref. http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_litanies.htm
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Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Thou Who art Infinite Love, I love Thee, O my God.
Thou Who didst first love me, I love Thee, O my God.
Thou Who dost command me to love Thee, I love Thee, O my God.
With all my heart, I love Thee, O my God.
With all my soul, I love Thee, O my God.
With all my mind, I love Thee, O my God.
With all my strength, I love Thee, O my God.
Above all possessions and honor, I love Thee, O my God.
Above all pleasures and enjoyments, I love Thee, O my God.
More than myself and all that belongs to me, I love Thee, O my God.
More than all my relatives and friends, I love Thee, O my God.
More than all men and Angels, I love Thee, O my God.
Above all created things in Heaven or on earth, I love Thee, O my God.
Only for Thyself, I love Thee, O my God.
Because Thou art the sovereign Good, I love Thee, O my God.
Because Thou art infinitely worthy of being loved, I love Thee, O my God.
Because Thou art infinitely perfect, I love Thee, O my God.
Even hadst Thou not promised me Heaven, I love Thee, O my God.
Even hadst Thou not menaced me with Hell, I love Thee, O my God.
Even shouldst Thou try me by want and misfortune, I love Thee, O my God.
In wealth and in poverty, I love Thee, O my God.
In prosperity and in adversity, I love Thee, O my God.
In health and in sickness, I love Thee, O my God.
In life and in death, I love Thee, O my God.
In time and in eternity, I love Thee, O my God.
In union with that love wherewith all the Saints and all the Angels love Thee in Heaven, I love Thee, O my God.
In union with that love wherewith the Blessed Virgin Mary loves Thee, I love Thee, O my God.
In union with that infinite love wherewith Thou lovest Thyself eternally, I love Thee, O my God.
Let Us Pray.
My God, Who dost possess in incomprehensible abundance all that is perfect and worthy of love, annihilate in me all guilty, sen sual and undue love for creatures; kindle in my heart the pure flame of Thy love, so that I may love nothing but Thee or in Thee, until being entirely consumed by holy love of Thee, I may go to love Thee eternally with the elect in Heaven, the country of pure love.
R. Amen.
(Pope Pius VI)
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Note: For more prayers, please try here - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_prayers.htm
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Liturgical Feasts in September
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for September as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
Reminder: Feasts may be superseded / transferred / etc.
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September 1 - St. Giles (T)
September 1 - Twelve Holy Brothers (T)
September 2 - St. Stephen, king of Hungary (T)
September 3 - St. Pius X, pope (T)
September 3 - St. Gregory the Great, pope (N)
September 5 - St. Laurence Justinian (T)
September 7 - St. Cloud (T)
September 8 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
September 8 - St. Adrian (T)
September 8 - The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
September 9 - St. Gorgonius (T)
September 9 - St. Peter Claver (T)
September 9 - St. Peter Claver (N)
September 10 - St. Nicholas of Tolentino (T)
September 11 - Sts. Protus & Hyacinth (T)
September 12 - The Most Holy Name of Mary (T)
September 12 - The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
September 13 - St. John Chrysostom (N)
September 14 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross (T)
September 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (N)
September 15 - Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
September 15 - St. Nicomedes (T)
September 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows (N)
September 16 - Sts. Cornelius (pope) & Cyprian (T)
September 16 - Sts. Euphemia, Lucy & Geminianus (T)
September 16 - Sts. Cornelius (pope) & Cyprian (N)
September 17 - Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi (T)
September 17 - St. Robert Bellarmine (N)
September 18 - St. Joseph of Cupertino (T)
September 19 - St. Januarius & others (T)
September 19 - St. Januarius (N)
September 20 - St. Eustace & others (T)
September 20 - Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang & companions (N)
September 21 - St. Matthew, apostle & evangelist (T)
September 21 - St. Matthew, apostle & evangelist (N)
September 22 - St. Maurice & others (T)
September 22 - St. Thomas of Villanova (T)
September 23 - St. Linus, pope (T)
September 23 - St. Thecla (T)
September 23 - St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) (N)
September 24 - Our Lady of Ransom (T)
September 26 - Sts. Cyprian & Justina (T)
September 26 - Sts. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues & companions (T)
September 26 - Sts. Cosmas & Damian (N)
September 27 - Sts. Cosmas & Damian (T)
September 27 - St. Vincent de Paul (N)
September 28 - St. Wenceslaus (T)
September 28 - St. Lawrence Ruiz & companions (N)
September 28 - St. Wenceslaus (N)
September 29 - Dedication of the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel (T)
September 29 - Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, archangels (N)
September 30 - St. Jerome (T)
September 30 - St. Jerome (N)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm . For other feasts, try the MCS Daily Digest each day at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
Also...
9/18/13 - Ember Wednesday (T)
9/20/13 - Ember Friday (T)
9/21/13 - Ember Saturday (T)
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. What language did Jesus speak?
2. What is a popular name for the Mission of San Antonio de Valero?
3. What does the sub-apostolic period refer to?
4. What does St. Thomas Aquinas say is the cause of every sin?
5. What does St. Elizabeth Ann Seton say we should give time to each day and why?
6. Is it true that whatever is done through ignorance must not be considered as sin?
7. What advice does St. Teresa of Avila give to parents?
8. What is the difference between a heretic, an apostate, and a schismatic?
9. Besides loving our enemies, we are also bound to do what for them?
10. When is a general confession necessary? Useful? Hurtful?
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Answers:
1. Jesus spoke Aramaic.
2. A popular name for the Mission of San Antonio de Valero is "The Alamo".
3. The sub-apostolic period refers to the period of time after the death of the apostles, but before the death of those who had (or could have had) personal dealings with them (roughly from 75 A.D. to 150 A.D.) [Ref. Catholic Dictionary]
4. "[I]nordinate love of self is the cause of every sin." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
5. "Give some time, if it is only a half an hour in every day, to devotional reading, which is as necessary to the well ordering of the mind as the hand of the gardener is to prevent weeds destroying your favorite flowers." (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)
6. No. As CONDEMNED by the Council of Sens, c.1140 A.D.: "That they have not sinned who being ignorant have crucified Christ, and that whatever is done through ignorance must not be considered as sin." (Council of Sens, Condemned Error of Peter Abelard, c.1140 A.D.)
7. "If I were to give advice, I would say to parents that they ought to be very careful whom they allow to mix with their children when young; for much mischief thence ensues, and our natural inclinations are unto evil rather than unto good." (St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church)
8. "Any one who after baptism, while remaining normally a Christian, pertinaciously denies or doubts any one of the truths which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, is a heretic; if he falls away entirely from the Christian faith, he is an apostate; finally if he rejects the authority of the supreme pontiff or refuses communion with the members of the Church, he is a schismatic." (Code of Canon Law, 20th century A.D., Canon 1325, 2)
9. "[W]e are bound to pray for our enemies in the same manner as we are bound to love them." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
10. "A general confession (1) is necessary when we are certain that our past confessions were bad; (2) it is useful on special occasions in our lives when some change in our way of living is about to take place; (3) it is hurtful and must not be made when persons are scrupulous." (Baltimore Catechism)
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For more information concerning the topics above, try our General A-Z Index at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Reject the Catholic Church's Teaching that Jesus' Mother Mary Was Assumed, Body & Soul, Into Heaven?
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Reject the Catholic Church's Teaching that Jesus' Mother Mary Was Assumed, Body & Soul, Into Heaven? [Note: Topic is directed at Protestants]
Consider:
* Do you reject the doctrine of the Assumption since you think it is not biblical? Are you then unfamiliar with the biblical precedent of Enoch being taken to heaven without dying (see Gen. 5:24) or of Elijah being assumed to heaven on a chariot (2 Kg. 2:11, Heb. 11:5)?
* If Jesus' mother Mary is simply deceased, and not in heaven, and not crowned as queen of Heaven and earth, how do you explain the woman in the who Book of Revelation is "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rv. 12:1) who "gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod" (Rv. 12:5)? How is it she is shown in continual battle against the serpent (cf. Rv. 12:13) if she is simply "deceased"?
* If Jesus' mother Mary had died and not been assumed to heaven, why is it that no one has ever claimed her relics? Why is it that they weren't even looked for? Are you unaware that the early Church greatly revered the relics of the saints? Can you not imagine how much more so would have Jesus' mother's relics have been treasured?
* Do you not see that the from the Immaculate Conception of Mary (see 'Do You Reject the Catholic Church's Teaching that Jesus' Mother Mary Was Conceived Immaculately and Remained Sinless?' at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm ), that it would naturally follow that she would be assumed into heaven? Remember that death entered the world because of the devil, as punishment for sin, and that Mary has always been sinless and at enmity with Satan (see Gen. 3:15). "For God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it." (Wisdom 2:23-24)
* Do you reject the doctrine of the assumption because you think the Catholic Church teaches that Mary went to heaven on her own power? If so, you should know that the Catholic Church does not teach this, but rather teaches that Christ ascended to heaven on his own power and that Mary was assumed to heaven by the power of God.
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"Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified." [Ps. 131:8 (132:8)]
"Jesus did not wish to have the body of Mary corrupted after death, since it would have redounded to his own dishonor to have her virginal flesh, from which he himself had assumed flesh, reduced to dust." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church)
"We had closed Paradise; you opened again the entryway to the tree of life. We turn joys into sorrow; you turned sorrow back into the greatest of joys for us. And how would you, the Immaculate, taste of death? You are the bridge to life, you are the staircase to heaven" (St. John Damascene, Doctor of the Church, c. 8th century A.D.)
"God, the King of the universe, has granted you favors that surpass nature. As he kept you a virgin in childbirth, thus he has kept your body incorrupt in the tomb and has glorified it by his divine act of transferring it from the tomb." (Menaei Totius Anni, as quoted in Pope Pius XII's "Munificentissimus Deus")
"Let death pass you by, O Mother of God, because you have brought life to men. Let the tomb pass you by, because you have been made the foundation stone of inexplicable sublimity. Let dust pass you by; for you are a new kind of formation, so that you may be mistress over those who have been corrupted in the very stuff of their potter's clay" (St. Germain I of Constantinople, a. 733 A.D.)
"And who, I ask, could believe that the ark of holiness, the dwelling place of the Word of God, the temple of the Holy Ghost, could be reduced to ruin? My soul is filled with horror at the thought that this virginal flesh which had begotten God, had brought Him into the world, had nourished and carried Him, could have been turned into ashes or given over to be the food of worms." (St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church)
"Following the footsteps of his distinguished teacher, the Angelic Doctor, despite the fact that he never dealt directly with this question, nevertheless, whenever he touched upon it, always held together with the Catholic Church, that Mary's body had been assumed into heaven along with her soul. Along with many others, the Seraphic Doctor held the same views. He considered it as entirely certain that, as God had preserved the most holy Virgin Mary from the violation of her virginal purity and integrity in conceiving and in childbirth, he would never have permitted her body to have been resolved into dust and ashes." (Pope Pius XII, "Munificentissimus Deus", 1950 A.D.)
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For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"Oh! In what floods of tears, in what an abyss of sorrow is she whelmed, that Virgin Mother, as mourning she beholds her Son taken down from the blood-stained tree and laid in her arms!" (Liturgical Year)
"[St. Paul], an able wrestler, urges us on in the struggle for immortality, so that we may receive a crown, and so that we may regard as a precious crown that which we acquire by our own struggle, and which does not grow on us spontaneously. And because it comes to us in a struggle, it is therefore the more precious; and as it is the more precious, let us love it always the more. Those things which come to us spontaneously are not loved as much as those which are obtained by anxious care." (St. Irenaeus)
"A true Christian is proved in the fire of tribulation." (St. Robert Southwell)
"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (St. James, Jms. 1:2-4)
"Look at the holy and immaculate Mother; she holds in her lap the lifeless body of her divine Son. Could you possibly imagine that the sorrowful Mother would murmur against God? That she would ask the reason for such suffering? We would not have been redeemed, if that Mother had not seen her Son die in torment and there would not have been for us any possibility of salvation." (Pope Pius XII)
"With the heart of a father We exhort all those who from whatever cause are plunged in grief and anguish to lift their eyes trustfully to heaven and to offer their sorrows to Him who will one day reward them abundantly. Let them all remember that their sufferings are not in vain, but that they will turn to their own immense gain and that of the Church, if to this end they bear them with patience." (Pope Pius XII, "Mystici Corporis Christi", 1943 A.D.)
"But God in His good Providence allows so many terrors, sorrows, and dangers to be put in our way by our enemy that He may break down our spirit, give us lowly hearts, and train us to submissiveness of mind and humility, so that we may never in the future feel any trust in our own prudence, but all entire trust in His Divine Protection." (St. Francis Xavier)
"In martyrs, the intensity of their love mitigated their sufferings, but with Mary it was different; the more she loved, the more she suffered, and the greater was her martyrdom." {Richard of St. Victor}
"Can we say that we are walking in His footsteps if we are not on the road to Calvary?" (Liturgical Year)
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